School shooting leaves community looking for answers
On Sept. 4, the deadliest school shooting in Georgia history took place at Apalachee High School in Winder. Four people were killed: two teachers and two freshmen students. Nine others, including eight students and one teacher, were injured in the shooting, all of whom are expected to recover.
The suspect, 14-year-old Colt Gray, was armed with an AR-15 style rifle given to him by his father for Christmas. At about 10 a.m., gunfire began at Apalachee High School, and by the time Colt Gray surrendered, teachers Cristina Irimie and Richard Aspinwall and students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo had been killed.
A Romanian immigrant, Irimie was deeply dedicated to her heritage, volunteering at festivals and her Orthodox christian church. On the day she passed away, she had brought pizza and a cake into class to celebrate her birthday that fell a few weeks prior. In addition to teaching highschool math, Aspinwall was a football coach for the outside linebackers. He was described by a player as a devoted coach, second lieutenant in the army and a father to two young girls. The two student victims, Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo had both begun at the highschool less than a month prior. Schermerhorn was described by family and friends as having a good attitude, enjoying life and looking forward to an upcoming family vacation to Disney World. Angulo’s sister described him as sweet and caring, his friends considered him to be humorous and a free spirit. David Phenix, math teacher, who was among those injured in the attack, shot in his foot and his hip, was released from the hospital on Sept. 16 following surgery.
Colt Gray was suspected of making online threats about school shootings, including photos of guns and references to previous shootings, that sparked a police investigation a year prior. Unable to determine whether Colt Gray was the source of the threats, the Jackson County sherrifs’ department closed the case. Colin Gray, the suspect’s father, assured investigators that although he kept guns in the house, Colt Gray did not have access to them. Further law enforcement investigation came to the conclusion that the previous search into the suspect’s cyberthreats was not as thorough as it should have been, continued examination could have definitively linked Colt to the post.
Charged with four counts of murder, Colt Gray will be tried in court as an adult. Colin Gray, the father, has been charged with two counts of second degree murder, four counts of involuntary manslaughter and eight counts of cruelty to children due to allowing his son to possess the gun used in the shooting. Charging parents in shootings perpetrated by their children is uncommon, but was first seen in the case of James and Jennifer Crumbley, who were charged earlier this year with crimes related to their son’s shooting of four classmates in Michigan in 2021.
The suspect’s mother, Marcee Gray, called the school about 30 minutes prior to the shooting to warn administration of an “extreme emergency.” This call came after Colt Gray had texted her “I’m sorry, mom.” According to Colt Gray’s aunt, Annie Brown, her nephew had been struggling with his mental health following his parent’s divorce and their subsequent turbulent relationship.
Apalachee High School resumed school on Sept. 24, almost three weeks after the shooting, giving students time to grapple with the events of Sept. 4. Vigils have been held for the victims throughout the community of Winder, including one two days post-shooting at nearby Monroe Area High School. The football team held another private vigil for Aspinwall. Funerals were held for Mason Schermerhorn and Cristina Irimie on Sept. 14. Angulo’s funeral took place on Sept. 20, drawing many members of his Mexican-American community. Winder residents continue to mourn the loss of these four community members as they come to terms with the devastating tragedy that took place in their town.
